The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-04-23
AFOUuDLING'S
The Maid of the Tyr
olese Valley.
BY H. BIRD, ESQ.
CHAPTER l

You can not find O sweeter spot in all
Tyrol than the Valley of Nolothol, with its
winding silver streams and its green meads.
The high mountains which surround it are
constantly lost in the clouds that sail over
them, and the sun peeps down on the valley
in one long straight line.
It is a bright August morning, so early
that the doors of the cottages are not yet
Enclosed. and the blackbirds are warbling
forth their matin songs, and hopping from
bough to bough.
Presently peasant opens his door, and
looks up at the blue sky with a smile Of
satisfaction. This day is to be a holiday in
the village; and, in the ensuing week, the
corn IS to be cut, for harvest time is near.
Now we see girl, with her pail of milk
balancing upon her head; she is tripping
along as fast as she can. in order that she
may finish all her work before the chapel
bells ring.
In the middle of the valley stands a
quaint old house of prayer surrounded by
its graveyard; and across the space come
the clear. musical accents Of young girls
voice, singing gayly.
The song proceeds from handsome
stone house. which rises proudly and high
above the wall which incloses it. Its wide
portal stands open; and ON a rustic bench
under the porch sits the fair singer herself.
u,
are living idly in her lap. BY her side sits
another, whose busy fingers are employed in
making wreath or crown of silver tinsel.
The first mentioned female is very pretty
by some she is called beautiful. She is
dressed in red petticoat, made short enough
to display pair Of small feet and her
faultless ankles, and her bodice is of some
blue material, laced over spotlessly white
chemisette. whose wide sleeves are turned
back to her elbows, showing her rounded
and dimpled arms; while spread in front
of her is her embroidered muslin apron.
the greatest worldly treasure the maiden
possesses.
The damsel is tall and slight. Her eyes
are brown, with long lashes. which sweep
the downy cheeks beneath them.
Her companion, who is her senior by
dozen years, looks good and kind, as one
who can reflect upon her past life without
regret
While the maiden is yet singing, win
dow Of the house is opened, and lady,
who still retains the remains of great
beauty, leans forth, and in authoritative
tones commands silence.
"Cease!" she cried. Cease your loud
song Do you forget that you are close to
the chapel aud the burial ground?" she
added, angrily.
The young girl looked round the howery
porch, and showed her laughing face 70
her mistress.
why should 1 not sing, Miss Isidora?"
she asked, simply. THE dead sleep too
soundly to be disturbed, did all the girls in
the canton sing their loudest. 1t can not,
surely. be a sin to raise ones voice merrily,
since the innocent birds are nearly always
doing sof"
"You are rude, Franzi-the rudest of all
1 IL u.
softened by the others artless speech.
And if you refuse to be quiet at my bid
ding, / Will inform the vicar. my unclei Is
there no work for you to do in the house?
Shame upon you'll At this early hour to be
dressed up like peacock, and sitting doing
nothing"
Francis face grew red as poppy, as she
listened to the above words.
any work is already done, Miss Isidora,"
she answered, humbly. Il fetched the
food for the COWS yesterday; and for the
rest of my work, Katrina has promised to
do it for me.
work enough of her own to do" inter
rupted the lady.
And for my dress, Miss Isidora, You
know that am chosen for one of the garland
maids to wait on the new priest, Albert
Unterwald, and that you kindly gave me
permission TO attend the ceremony, and
afterward the festival"
"Ha" calculated the lady, closing the
easement sharply, aud disappearing.
The maiden flushed deeply, and heaved
heavy sorrowful sigh.
Don't mind her, Franzi," said Katrina.
Miss Isidora says great deal she doesn't
mean, because, having nothing to do, the
day hangs YEARLY on her hands. She must
oloI in RI pIy har TOM nd
her voice some heathful exercise. But don't
heed her. Perhaps, as she's nearly forty
years of age. she's jealous of your youth
and your beauty; you know you're the love-
Hest girl in the whole canton-ch, l don't
want to fatter you!-and because you've
been chosen to be a garland maid, which is
great honor conferred upon you. The new
priests father is the wealthiest man in VOL
ohio, and for many miles around it, and
the garland maids are always selected from
amongst the rich farmers daughters; how.
then, is it that YOU are SO favoied2"
Il will tell you, Katrina, for you Go not
know my history, having only lately come
to live here at Volothol. Nineteen years
ago new-b born infa t was found at a
chapel door in Munich. The town received
the parentless babe, and sent it into the
country to be nursed. The mother of our
new priest saw me-for the poor, forsaken
child was myself!-and as her little boy
Albert, her only offspring, was about to be
sent away TO study, she took me into her
house, and brought me up with every care
and affection"
"W hat romantic tale!' cried Francis
listener. But how was it that YOU came
here, IN the dwelling of the vicar and his
Nicer I'm sure, had | been in your place,
j would rather have preferred living with
Madame Unterwald. Miss Isidora is SO
hard with you.
"Yes, she is little harsh toward me
sometimes" Franz allowed, with a good
humored laugh. But she has q kind heart
Iii her breast, for all that. l have been told
that she was a very different sort of q per-
son some years ago from what she is now.
! was treated by Albert's parents as if had
been their own daughter, and Albert him
self regarded me as his sister. And now
that he is to be priest, the old couple
wish me TO be one of the garland maids:
and Albert himself wishes it, l have been
told
$50 much greater the honor, Katrina re-
marked as she placed the wreath she had
made ON her companions nut-brown
fresses.
yes, answered the young damsel. But
what g. atiies me most is, that Albert has
remembered me. 1t is many long years
hAhtt ht NV me nave uO luSd Nllul uc
is like. and he can have no memory of my
looks either"
But you have not yet answered my
question, said Katrina, admil,ng her
handlwork from every side. How was it
that Won came TO live here?'
We'll, | can hardly explain that matter.
Miss lsidora used to visit the Unterwalds,
and, seeing me, took fancy to me. and
would not let my friends have any peace
until they gave me up to her. She is very
rlch, II is supposed; so they thought she
would prove great benefactress to me.
They could not have reclaimed me after
ward, even had they wished TO do so, for
Miss lsidora had made them sign certain
paper, wherein II was stated that they re-
signed all right to me. l was about ten
years old when she took ms from the Inter
walds. Her disposition has soured con-
siderably since that time"
"Ah, 10 have made your story quite COM
plete, Albert ought TO have married you.
lie was born a farmer, and he ought to
have remained such 10 the end.